So you think Metal Militia Training is all about the bench press. Well what most people do not realize is that the principals for gaining strength while using supportive power lifting gear is all pretty much the same. Also these principals are pretty simple to understand. You will always have support in the bottom of the lift when wearing a bench shirt or a squat suit. So it is more logical to train the areas of the lifts that are not supported to gain max benefit from the use of supportive gear. Unfortunately this logic is often lost on most lifters. While it is important to train all areas and aspects of the lift, it is also most important to recognize and train the areas that will produce the biggest and best results to your powerlifting total and when you are talking about lifting in gear this means getting stronger at the mid to top end of the movement and learning to use your gear. We have discussed many times in my articles the importance of getting stronger and increasing the volume and workload to the top end of the Bench Press. Those who have heeded these words are enjoying a new level of benching never thought possible. It only seems logical to apply the same technique to training the squat.

After you think about it for awhile you will see that it becomes even more logical to get strong at the top given the extra support you get from Briefs, Knee Wraps and a Canvas or Denim squat suit. You now have twice as much support squatting as in the bench press. With Knee wraps you now gain the extra spring and help out of the bottom and through the middle and to the top of the movement.

Lets Break down the aspects of training the lift first we have the top of the lift we have already decided that this is a very important factor in our training routine. This is by no means the only factor in the lift but rather just a vital piece to a bigger puzzle. The other factor in this puzzle is learning to squat with a squat suit on. Some people train hard and then try to add this in at the last minute .This never works. What some people don’t understand is that this is the movement you will actually be doing on the day of the contest. Logic dictates that this is also an area that should be given the utmost attention. Far to many lifters are using other exercises to improve their main lifts instead of the main lifts with full ROMs . In this day and age of big support there is a whole new aspect to the lifts themselves learning and improving Technique and the ability to control bone breaking support has become the name of the game. This is what power lifting has become today you either get onboard or get left behind. This is what has always intrigued me about power lifting it is not only about how strong you are but how smart you are and how efficiently you spend your training time and learning gear and body angles.

It is important to recognize where you need your work. Just like in bench training it is important to access what Skill level you are at in your full gear so you can build a routine around that. If you have never squatted in a suit before or have trouble with bending over to far or balance trouble in your suit stance or not being able to get decent depth. You will need to direct your full attention to these problems early on in your training cycle. There is no sense doing a bunch of elaborate exercises if you do not have your form down to a tee first. So if you are in that category Increase your volume of fully suited up squats. take the time to learn new body angles to help you reach a competition depth. Instead of just piling more weight on saying I just need more weight to get there. This is never a good idea because you never practice in the full groove of the movement. While it is easier to reach a depth with more weight it should be perfected at Sub maximal weights to ensure you will be able to reach depth with your squat opener. This is the most important lift of the meet and it sets the stage for the rest of the meet. I like to feel confident that I can hit depth with any weight during a meet .This will keep nervous energy to a minimum and put your mind at ease when getting ready for a meet. One less thing to worry about come meet day.

Lets move on to a few workouts I will list 2 workouts that focous on the top and midrange of the squat along with suit lifting.

SQUAT WORKOUT #1

High Box (18” to 20” Depending on Body Shape)

8 to 10 Sets 3 Reps

Work up to a 3 RM

Mid Box(1 ½ to 2 inches lower than High Box)

6 to 8 Sets 3 Reps

Work Up to a 1 to 3 RM

Early in the cycle Do a lower box on this day also right at or slightly below parallel

Squat Suit on

Start with a lighter weight and work up to a training max or a double. It is important to learn balance with your suit on so do sets of 2 or 3 reps on the way up. Be sure to have someone calling your depth and experiment with foot placement and foot angle to get depth. You will need someone who will call you true depth. So you can get a feel for your technique changes. Remember with power lifting we are always trying to shorten the range of motion on all exercises. So you are trying to move the bar in the shortest distance trying to get a depth call so just like in benching it is important to keep your position through out the entire lift. Even the smallest deviation in form could have devastating effects on your lift. Some of the things that should always be worked on is staying as straight as possible when squatting down. This should also be practiced on box squats .Often I see people bending forward or letting their knees go forward. If you watch someone squat from the side as soon as they start to bend at the waist their hips stop going down. This means you are bringing the bar lower and you are not getting any closer to hitting depth. You also must learn to push into the support of the suit if you slack on this at all during the lift you will bend forward or let your knees slip forward avoiding the support. this is also very important to practice in your full gear with wraps so you learn how to manipulate the support of wraps and tight suit and belt. I personally believe this to be the most important aspect of training the squat and any other lift that involves supportive equipment. A large percent of your training Time must be spent learning how to use your supportive gear. Getting stronger at the upper end of the movement is the key to using this support to the maximum degree. Therefore the lift becomes a balance between these two factors.

This workout Can be done every other week

Workout #2

Low Box Squat With Bands

Start with one band the first week and work up to a max triple adding plates. The next week add another set of bands and repeat the 3 rm if you do this every 2 weeks you should be strong enough to reach your previous bar weight.

Squat Suit

Work up to a heavy 2 or 3 RM

You will be extra tired from using the bands and it will not be possible to hit a heavy single so here is a chance to get some work in while you are tired. This kind of work can really build some strength that will be useful on meet day.

To add more volume on this day you could do some sort of good morning or stiff leg deadlift for sets of 5 to 10 reps.

I am confident that if you apply some of these principals into your squat training you will see great results in your meet squats. In closing I would like to touch on the importance of getting as many full squat reps as possible in your Suit. Just as in bench pressing the full movement in full gear is a movement in itself and needs to be practiced. If you are always a little high or unable to get legal depth you will always be disappointed at the meet when you must hit full depth. Remember it is better and much less stressful knowing you can make depth on your opener. It is always best to be relaxed and confident on meet day. Please check out WWW.UNDERGROUNDSTRENGTH.COM for DVDs of our workouts. Also Visit WWW.METALMILITIA.NET for more articles and Training Videos. I would like to thank all those who have e mailed and called me with positive feedback. Feel free to e mail me with any questions. Metalmilitiabench@yahoo.com